What’s In Season at Your Local Farmers Market

Spring is finally here and summer is just around the corner. It is that time of year we all want to take care of our bodies to look, feel, and perform at our best. No matter what your goals are, it is important that we are fueling our bodies properly so it can function optimally. That means eating plenty of good fat, protein, fruits and vegetables. This is the time where a TON of produce comes in season and our local farmers markets are flourishing with beautiful bright colored locally grown bread, olive oils, cold pressed juices, and of course fruits and vegetables!

When shopping for fruits and vegetables how do we know what is in season? We can easily assume that since it is Spring and Summer is just around the corner that everything should be fresh and at its highest quality. However, in May, for example, zucchini, artichokes, spring peas, broccoli, cherries, pineapples, and apricots are in their prime! But June is when you want to be purchasing your strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, blueberries, and corn. Explore your local farmers markets and see what produce is popping!

It can be a bit overwhelming when looking at a pile of watermelons or a bundle of asparagus and wondering which one should I get? And what should I be looking for? I am here to help! When choosing a watermelon you want to make sure it is nice and heavy and bright in color. Also look for the yellow “field spot” on the watermelon. You want this to be a bright yellow color and not white or nonexistent. If you do not see this spot at all it means the watermelon was picked before it was ripe (so it will not ripen at all!). When looking at pineapples you want to make sure the leaves are a full green color and the smell is very predominant. As long as nobody is paying attention… I like to try and pull out one of the leaves off the top and if it comes out smoothly then you’ve got a ripe pineapple!

For more information on how to pick the freshest fruits and vegetables click here.

Ave Lucia is our true ray of shining light. She is responsible for running our amazing front desk team at NAKOA Fitness and Physical Therapy and leads our nutrition program. Even with all of that, she is still somehow able to infuse an element of her shining, happy, infectious positivity into everyone and everything she touches. Her smile alone could melt you in two seconds and the genuine love and care that she shows every person that walks through the doors makes it impossible not feel happy every time you see her.

She goes above and beyond in everything that she does and is beyond dedicated to making sure that people have the best possible experience imaginable when they walk through our doors.